Lake Baikal

Located in Southern Siberia in Russia, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world. It contains approximately 20% of the world's total surface fresh water. The lake contains over 1,700 species of plants and animals and two-thirds of those cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Lake Baikal is estimated to be over 25 million years old.

Fast Facts

1. Lake type: Continental rift lake
2. Located in Siberia, roughly 3000 miles east of Moscow
3. Basin countries: Russia
4. Max. length: 636 km (395 mi)
5. Max. width: 80 km (50 mi)
6. Surface area: 31,494 km² (12,159.9 sq mi)
7. Average depth: 758 m (2,487 ft)
8. Max. depth: 1,637 m (5,371 ft)
9. Water volume: 23,600 km3 (5,700 cu mi)
10. Contains as much water as all of North America's Great Lakes
11. Age is estimated at 25–30 million years; one of the most ancient lakes in geological history

Tourism

The lake is nicknamed "the Pearl of Siberia" and has drawn several tourist industry investors that wish to build hotels in the area. Lake Baikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The myth of the Lake Baikal Monster brings in tourists from around the world on every year.

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